Touting an exclusive MSNBC town hall with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, anchor Andrea Mitchell applauded the Democratic leader for dismissing the controversy swirling around newly-elected Michigan Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, after the far-left lawmaker launched into a profane tirade calling for President Trump’s impeachment.
A clip ran of MSNBC anchor Joy Reid gently asking Pelosi to react to Tlaib’s nasty remarks: “Rashida Tlaib, who is a newly elected congresswoman from Michigan, used some colorful language to talk about what would happen to Donald Trump, to the President, saying, quote, ‘We’re going to go in and impeach the MFer.’ Your reaction to that comment?”
In part, Pelosi admitted, “I don’t like that language. I wouldn’t use that language.” However, the Speaker also declared: “I’m not in the censorship business....I don’t, again, establish any language standards for my colleagues, but I don’t think it’s anything worse than the President – what the President has said.” Minutes later, she added: “I don’t think we should make a big deal of it. I really don’t. I really don’t. That’s probably the way people talk around.”
Following the clip, Mitchell brought on former Democratic Congressman Joe Crowley and gushed: “You could say, taking a step back, Nancy Pelosi’s response, pitch perfect?” The former member of Democratic House leadership predictably agreed: “I thought so....recognizing the right to free speech and express oneself.” He then blamed Trump for Tlaib’s comments:
And I think, you know, the temperament starts from the top. I’ve said this all along, the President sets the agenda and the tone. And the language the President used, she pales in comparison to what he has said.
He concluded: “I think Nancy handled it just perfectly.”
Mitchell even offered up her own excuse for Tlaib’s irresponsible behavior: “Well, and in fact, you could argue, if you were in Rashida Tlaib’s shoes, that the Muslim ban and a lot of other things the President’s done even before he was elected, so offensive, which I think is what Nancy Pelosi was certainly alluding to.”
Here is a transcript of the January 4 segment:
12:18 PM ET
REP. RASHIDA TLAIB [D-MI]: People love you and you win. And when your son looks at you and says, “Mama, look, you won, bullies don’t win. And I said, “Baby, they don’t, because we’re going to go in there, we’re going to impeach the motherf***er [bleeped].”
ANDREA MITCHELL: Well, just hours after being sworn in at one of those post swearing in parties, one of the first Muslim American women and first Palestinian American woman in Congress, Michigan’s Rashida Tlaib sparked backlash over her comments to impeach President Trump, using profanity. The latest controversy throwing a wrench, perhaps, in Nancy Pelosi’s efforts to rein in an insurgent freshman class that is promising to shake up Washington. Pelosi speaking out today in a special town hall taping with MSNBC’s Joy Reid, to air tonight at 10:00 Eastern.
JOY REID: Speaker Pelosi, last night, at a reception for MoveOn.org, one of your new members, Rashida Tlaib, who is a newly elected congresswoman from Michigan, used some colorful language to talk about what would happen to Donald Trump, to the President, saying, quote, “We’re going to go in and impeach the MFer.” Your reaction to that comment?
REP. NANCY PELOSI [D-CA]: I probably have a generational reaction to it. But in any event, I’m not in the censorship business. I don’t think that – I mean, I don’t like that language. I wouldn’t use that language. I don’t, again, establish any language standards for my colleagues, but I don’t think it’s anything worse than the President – what the President has said.
(...)
12:20 PM ET
PELOSI: That’s freedom of speech of an individual member. As I say, generationally, that would not be language I would use, but nonetheless, I don’t think we should make a big deal of it. I really don’t. I really don’t. That’s probably the way people talk around. And again, I’m a grandmother, and that’s a different story. But it is really words have – weigh a ton, and the President has to realize that his words weigh a ton, too. And some of the words that he used has a direct impact on people’s lives. My colleague’s comments do not have an impact on people’s lives.
MITCHELL: Joining me now is former Democratic Congressman Joe Crowley on New York, who chaired the House Democratic Caucus. You could say, taking a step back, Nancy Pelosi’s response, pitch perfect?
FMR. REP. JOE CROWLEY: I thought so.
MITCHELL: I was watching your reaction.
CROWLEY: Yeah, no, recognizing the right to free speech and express oneself. And I think, you know, the temperament starts from the top. I’ve said this all along, the President sets the agenda and the tone. And the language the President used, she pales in comparison to what he has said. And so, I think it’s unfortunate that we’ve kind of, you know, getting back in a more vulgar way, I think that the Congress, as a more collaborate body, needs to work together to get things done. And I think Nancy handled it just perfectly.
MITCHELL: Well, and in fact, you could argue, if you were in Rashida Tlaib’s shoes, that the Muslim ban and a lot of other things the President’s done even before he was elected...
CROWLEY: Absolutely.
...so offensive, which I think is what Nancy Pelosi was certainly alluding to. But – and Tlaib’s spokesperson has issued a statement saying that, in part, “The Congresswoman absolutely believes that he needs to be impeached. She ran and won by making this very clear to the voters in her district. Donald Trump’s actions have harmed the 13th Congressional District and this country, and Congresswoman Tlaib will not stay silent while this happens.”
(...)
